Strange turn of events

Well it's been a bizarre week. We were so saddened to hear of the passing of our niece Alyssa last week at age 21 from complications of diabetes, Addison's disease and hypothyroidism. After praying for answers about a job for weeks without feeling much inspiration, I finally felt strongly about one thing - I wanted us to all go to the funeral together. So we used miles and I got our one-way tickets to Utah booked for the next day.

In looking at return flights, I had the idea - hey, what if we just go back through Colorado Springs on the way home. Then hopefully having had our whole family together in Utah and then in Colorado Springs we would feel better about making a decision. So we booked our tickets. Ryan would leave Sunday to get back in time for work, and I would bring the kids back on Monday so I could stay and check out the church here (to make sure I could have some friends to make up for not being by family).

When one of the doctors heard we were coming, he was super nice and offered to put us up in the Broadmoor hotel- the nicest place on Colorado Springs. It was beautiful. We got to take paddle boats out on the lake, made s'mores out on the patio over the fire, and of course drove and drive and drove around to get a good feel for the area and see if we could get a good picture of our life here. We visited Garden of the Gods, saw the most gorgeous fall leaves (I was super excited to be in fall for the first time in 4 years!) and we visited with some lovely families in the area and our kids were so excited to make new friends.

(Ok but what's up with this? We told Cash we would move to Utah or Colorado instead of Iowa because there weren't tornadoes in those states - he is deathly afraid of tornadoes - and as soon as we step foot in the Denver airport, every 5 feet there's a sign telling you where the nearest tornado shelter is! What's up with that? I've never seen anything like it! Didn't take long for him to pick up on that and ensured a good night full of bad dreams.)

Well, Sunday night we talked as I left the area. It was still a tough decision. But we decided, and we were going to go for it. Just as Ryan was going to call the Colorado practice to tell them yes, they called him.

And pulled back the offer.

So folks, in a totally stunning turn of events, I guess we are not going to Colorado after all.

While we were super bugged and I had a rough time trying to sleep last night, I also can't help waking up this morning and thinking - we finally made our decision and it could may as well been God himself calling to tell us that He had let us put in a lot of work and effort to get ourselves to that decision - but no, it was the wrong one.

Stumped

I'll be honest.  There are two things on my mind right now:

Colorado Springs and Salt Lake City.  (I know, it doesn't look like much of a difference). 

We are finally at the point where a real job is in sight.  As in like 10 months away.  But the choice about where we will be in 10 months is about one week away.  

And I am still stumped.

We have been at an impasse for about a month.  We never thought there would be a job opportunity in Utah.  So we never really had our sights set on it.  We've known for a little while that there was a good job opportunity in Colorado Springs and had that in the back of our minds.  Then something came up in Utah.  Now we don't know what to do.  

The job in Colorado Springs is probably a good fit for Ryan. They seem to think the way he does, run a business and work efficiently in the way he likes. But I'm not sure I love the place.  It's hard to tell when you have a day and a half and your husband is telling you to decide if you want to live and raise a family there for the rest of your life.  The houses were crammed together, yards were small, and believe it or not, I was dying for Utah to see some greenery it was so dry. I worry that I'm just going to be all on my own like I have been for years now and it gets lonely. 

Then there's Utah.  Family.  Lots of it, for both of us.  A place we know we both like.  But a job that may require a little more time away from family, a little more travel for work, and a market that is more saturated.  But still a great opportunity and a nice couple of guys to work with. (Although it seems that rather frequently when he talks to them in the evening they're not done with work or heading back in for another surgery.)  Utah seems a little better developed, lots of great things to do, and ski mountains are right at your back door. Colorado they're about 2 hours away - but the two hours away takes you to great places like Vail and Breckenridge. Both jobs just have enough pluses and minuses that they just seem to cancel each other out and keep bringing us around in circles to where we are back at no decision. 

Trying to sway our decision, my sister-in-law sent me this article about Utah being poised to be the best state to live in.  But when I opened the article, Utah was number 1, Minnesota was number 2, and Colorado was number 3.  Great - the three places we were considering for jobs. No wonder it was such a hard decision. Luckily the Minnesota job was taken by our good friend here at least narrowing it down to two. But good grief, I can't even decide what shirt to wear in the morning let alone where to live for the rest of my life.

For a while it seemed I was pining for Utah and he was happy with the job in Colorado.  Then when we thought we were getting closer to making a decision it turned out we flip-flopped.  Probably him realizing happy wife = happy family, and me thinking grumpy husband = miserable family.  

I know, people say we'll just know where we should be and it will just feel right.  Well, what if that hasn't happened after 4 months of thinking and praying about this and I'm getting down to the wire??

So.  Any thoughts?  Opinions?  Please, weigh in. Job where we'd love to live or live where the job is more cushy? Spend your vacations in Utah visiting family or live by family and spend your vacations elsewhere? Be adventurous and try somewhere new or let our kids grow up by their cousins in a place we know we like? I'm all ears. 

Summer picture wrap-up

Some of our must-dos in Utah include the "jumping place" (Kangaroo Zoo), nickelcade, dollar movies (oh how we miss those here in Miami), swim lessons, museums, bowling and more bowling, parks, catching up with old friends and cousins, cousins, cousins. It was so darn much fun!

And when this kid gets in hugging mode it's so stinking adorable. 

Unless you happen to be smaller.

In which case you get a lot more than you're asking for.  Over and over. And over.  But the rest of us love it.  

And why Diesel is in the gutter I'm not sure, but have I mentioned what a lot of trouble this kid is?  Some days I think he's worse than the twins combined.  Then I remember that I just selectively blocked that time of my life from my memory.  

More summer pictures

More fun at Thanksgiving point:

I was super excited to realize the reciprocity of some of the museums in Miami with those in Utah so we were loving getting into Thanksgiving Point and the children's museum for free with our memberships. 

Utah summer in pictures

Before we get too far past summer, I'll start trying to get some of these pictures from our fantastic summer in Utah up. 

Starting with the trip there.

Riding ponies at Thanksgiving Point. Ashton refused, Diesel screamed bloody murder as soon as they started moving, and Cash looked like he was going to throw up the whole time... 

and Phoenix took it like a champ.

I mean seriously, these were harnessed 4 foot ponies people.  I'm not sure why I have the wimpiest family of 4 boys, but whatever.

Parades, sunsets and fireworks:

And trying to get 8 boy cousins to look decent in a picture all at the same time?  Impossible. Even at Temple Square.

 

Thanksgiving Point children's garden -

 

And check it out - a picture of my dad as a baby with his hair clippings.  Pretty exact match next to Diesel.